Kara Hood

Message No. 1 of 11

H week '98

I have wanted to write on this website, for so long, but was unsure what to share. I want to share the stories of the butterflies that surround me at the camp I work at now in Buffalo. And I wanted to share the story about the mass I was at on July 15th of last summer. I thought of Kara and the Hood family that morning. As I sat in the pew, I couldn't help but to cry as I listened to the children of the parish sing, and sign their vaction bible school song . . ."We are One Body." Kara's presence was so alive that morning..... But as I try to put my thoughts into words, my memories flash back to H week of 1998. H weeks were always my favorite weeks to work of the summer. Although, our energy was always drained by that week, something about that week, always made the summer go out with a bang. It was the replacement staff. Each summer, the staff would buzz about what counselors were returning for a last hoorah! I would always be envious of the counselors that got placed with replacement staff during H week. And for some reason, Maura placed me in a junior cabin, "H" week 1998; with Kara. I was so excited to be working with Kara, she had been a counselor when I was camper. Although I didn't know Kara well at all, I knew Emily, and I loved listening to her talk about her family, so I knew that working with Kara would be great. Great, is too small of a word. H week '98 was awesome. Our Junior campers were crazy!!! Kara and I would sit and laugh at the crazy things they said and did. We would laugh as we sat on the docks in the morning when my sailors and her windsurfers were out on the water. And we would laugh so hard as we covered the girls with paint for some cabin hotel shuffle. Although our cabin activity was pretty random, it was the energy and spirit that Kara brought to the cabin that made it so much fun. But what made the week shine, was the conversations I had with Kara. H week was a big week for me for two reasons. The first, was that it was the week before I first left for college. I was nervous, excited, every emotion. Kara shared with me her college stories, and all the fun memories she had from Trinity. As well as share advice she had on leaving home, and friends from high school. She put me at ease about my next big step in life. The second thing Kara did was listen. H week I also was getting hearing aids for the first time (I had recently been diagnosed with hearing loss). Although I still don't wear them like I should 4 years later, it was the words she said about the situation that I remember so clearly. She said that "God gives us all some kind of struggle, that we need to figure out, and he wouldn't give us something that we couldn't handle." Although I still question Kara's absence, I know Kara was right. And I still share her lesson with people today. So as the summer days go by, and I look at my watch, and wonder "just what are they doing at Camp right now? Are they on waterfront, at mass?" I can't help but to smile with excitement knowing that I will be going back for a last Hoorah of H week this year. I hope that as I watch the sailors, windsurfers, and little junior campers, I feel Kara's presence just as I did last summer at church on July 15th, and the presence of her spirit that I enjoyed when we worked together H week of 1998. Thank you Kara for being a part of my memories of Camp Stella Maris......you are missed by so many.

Colleen Coggins Colleen Coggins

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H week '98
	I have wanted to write on this website, for so long, but was unsure what to share. I want to share the stories of the butterflies that surround me at the camp I work at now in Buffalo. And I wanted to share the story about the mass I was at on July 15th of last summer. I thought of Kara and the Hood family that morning. As I sat in the pew, I couldn't help but to cry as I listened to the children of the parish sing, and sign their vaction bible school song . . ."We are One Body." Kara's presence was so alive that morning..... But as I try to put my thoughts into words, my memories flash back to H week of 1998. H weeks were always my favorite weeks to work of the summer. Although, our energy was always drained by that week, something about that week, always made the summer go out with a bang. It was the replacement staff. Each summer, the staff would buzz about what counselors were returning for a last hoorah! I would always be envious of the counselors that got placed with replacement staff during H week. And for some reason, Maura placed me in a junior cabin, "H" week 1998; with Kara. I was so excited to be working with Kara, she had been a counselor when I was camper. Although I didn't know Kara well at all, I knew Emily, and I loved listening to her talk about her family, so I knew that working with Kara would be great. Great, is too small of a word. H week '98 was awesome. Our Junior campers were crazy!!! Kara and I would sit and laugh at the crazy things they said and did. We would laugh as we sat on the docks in the morning when my sailors and her windsurfers were out on the water. And we would laugh so hard as we covered the girls with paint for some cabin hotel shuffle. Although our cabin activity was pretty random, it was the energy and spirit that Kara brought to the cabin that made it so much fun. But what made the week shine, was the conversations I had with Kara. H week was a big week for me for two reasons. The first, was that it was the week before I first left for college. I was nervous, excited, every emotion. Kara shared with me her college stories, and all the fun memories she had from Trinity. As well as share advice she had on leaving home, and friends from high school. She put me at ease about my next big step in life. The second thing Kara did was listen. H week I also was getting hearing aids for the first time (I had recently been diagnosed with hearing loss). Although I still don't wear them like I should 4 years later, it was the words she said about the situation that I remember so clearly. She said that "God gives us all some kind of struggle, that we need to figure out, and he wouldn't give us something that we couldn't handle." Although I still question Kara's absence, I know Kara was right. And I still share her lesson with people today. So as the summer days go by, and I look at my watch, and wonder "just what are they doing at Camp right now? Are they on waterfront, at mass?" I can't help but to smile with excitement knowing that I will be going back for a last Hoorah of H week this year. I hope that as I watch the sailors, windsurfers, and little junior campers, I feel Kara's presence just as I did last summer at church on July 15th, and the presence of her spirit that I enjoyed when we worked together H week of 1998. Thank you Kara for being a part of my memories of Camp Stella Maris......you are missed by so many.
	Colleen Coggins Colleen Coggins